Film gate for motion-picture projectors



May 27, 1952 R. F. A. v. DAvxTAYA FILM GATE FOR MOTION-PICTURE PROJECTORS Filed March 29, 1949 Patented May 27,v 1952 iRayman'd` Fernand Adrien-- Valentin' dAvlta-ya, l`YMar'seille,-Fra.nce -Aiipii'cannimareh 29, 1949;;serilNo-s4p34 In France May 27. 1948 faolaims. (orcs-17) MyY invention" relates' to' improvements inY film Vgates for motion picture projectoren such "film gates vbeing mounted 'between the obj'ective'and the lshutter of lthe projector. They are provided 'with' apertures for the ypencil of projection light beams and are adapted to receive the film passing therethrough and to maintain the same in a vertical plane lrelative to the projection axis. The film is fed into the film gate for example by a continuously operating sprocket and is intermittentlydrawn therethrough by'claws or similar means. My invention refers more particularly vto such nlm-gates ofthe-type indicatedbefore which are composed of two cooperating members .namely a frontal guide plate opposingthe iob- ."jective'andav rear'guide orr pressure plate oppos "lin'g .the shutter thereof.

itisanob'ject of r'my invention to adapt' said Aguide plates forming the nlm-gate in` such manner that *the 'film while passing i therethrough is` graduallycurved in' lateraly direction to make its surface correspond" with'thefocal field of the objective.

Another object of. `Inj/invention isr to vprovide an improved'film gate in 'which thelm is not only firmly guided but also safely protected from sudden stresses and against injury particularly to its coated surface.

Additional objects, features and advantages of my invention will be more fully understood from the following description when read with the accompanying drawing in which one embodiment of my improved lm gate is illustrated.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of the frontal guide plate forming part of the film gate;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of said frontal plate showing its forward face opposing the objective of the projector;

Fig. 2' is a cross-sectional View taken along line :c-:c in Fig. 2;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the rear guide or pressure plate showing its back face opposing the shutter of the projector;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view thereof showing its forward face opposing the coated surface of the film;

Fig. 6 shows in an enlarged scale the upper portions of the frontal guide plate and of the rear guide or pressure plate in assembled operative relation;

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are cross-sectional views taken on lines A-A, B-B and C-C, respectively, of Fig. 6.

-z The same reference' characters vindicadaetlie same "parts in allV gures ofthe drawing.

#As used herein and inthey appended claimsrthe words fronti frontal, forward, outward and "words cognate thereto meanY or referto' a direction conforming tothe direction of the light y'beams passing through theshutter of' theprojector toward theobjective"thereofpand conversely words` vlike rear, backward inward and'words cognate thereto-mean or referto the contrary direction.

The film guide is composed ofV afrontal guide plate I which lies nearer'tothe objective ofthe projector and ofy arear guideV orpre'ssurefplate I5 which isnearer to the shutter of the'projector.

`Such plates'are `preferably stampedlfro'mwsheet metal and their isurfacesfsuch yas 2'of plate I whichcarein contact with the film Z'Ifare'appro- 'Y priately 'plated and polished. tominimize friction. VEach of 'said platesil and I5 is -provided `with-an aperture 8 'and 22, respectively.' to permit :the projecting light beams to pass throughtheilm.

The said-plates also have fcoincidingl marginal recesses `S2- and y2 3 .Y respectively; tor/permit #driving claws' to engage the filmA to drawthe same through the gate.

The frontal guide plate I as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 2 is reinforced in its central and lower portion on the forward side by a sheet metal body 3 attached thereto by the marginal folds 4 and 5. Said reinforcing sheet metal body 3 is provided with a hook II and with a projecting stud I2 which supports a head I3. Said hook I I and said head I3 are adapted to engage corresponding recesses in the projector frame in order to fix the frontal guide plate I therein. To facilitate such mounting in a dark or insuiiiciently illuminated room. said head I3 may be provided with a coating I4 of a white or preferably luminescent material.

The back face 2 of the frontal g-uide plate I contacting the film 2'I is flat in its upper portion (Fig. 7) which receives the incoming lm and gradually passes into a convex portion formed by bending back the marginal portions of the plate out of the plane of said flat surface portion. Thus the film gliding upon the surface 2 is laterally curved to make its surface correspond with the focal eld of the objective.

The rear guide or pressure plate I5 shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 cooperates with the frontal lguide plate I as illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9. Said rear guide plate I5 may be stamped from sheet metal and is provided with marginal folds IS and I'I to reinforce the same. A flat spring or other hooklike member ZI serves to suspend the plate 3 I5 in the projector frame. The upper surface portion 25 of said plate I5 where the film is received is flat and distanced from the opposing flat upper portion 2 of the frontal guide plate I and is provided with marginal ribs 26 gradually rising therefrom to contact the marginal portions of the film 21 and to press the same against the edge portions of the front plate I. These two marginal ribs 216 may be connected to form a U as shown in the drawing. The said flat surface portion 25 of the rear guide plate I5 passes into a portion 24 concavely bent against the film with a smaller radius of curvature than the opposite convexly bent portion of the frontal guide plate I thus leaving an interstice 28 therebetween. The said fiat surface portion '25 of the guide plate I5 lies essentially in the same plane as the longitudinal center line of the adjoining concave portion 24 and the said marginal ribs 26 pass into the marginal portions I6, I7 of the plate I5 as apparent from Figs. 7, 8 and 9.

It will be well understood that the film 21 while passing through the film gate in the direction of arrow F will safely glide along the frontal guide plate I and will be pressed against the same only with its marginal portions by the action of the rear guide or pressure plate I5, thus permitting a smooth and safe operation.

While I have illustrated and described one em- Ibodiment of my invention it is obvious that it may be otherwise constructed without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A film gate for film projecting apparatus, comprising in combination a longitudinal frontal guide plate and a longitudinal rear guide or pressure plate cooperating therewith; said plates conforming to the iilm passing in between and each having a projection opening in its middle portion coaxial with the optical center line of the projection light beam; the iilm contacting surface of said frontal plate being fiat in its film receiving upper portion and gradually passing into a convex surface in the middle portion thereof;

said convex surface portion having its marginal portions bent back out of the plane of said fiat surface portion; the film contacting middle surface portion of said rear plate being concavely bent with a smaller radius of curvature than the opposite convex surface portion of said front plate to contact the film along its marginal edges; the lm receiving upper surface portion of said rear plate being fiat essentially in the same plane as the longitudinal center line of its concave middle surface portion and spaced from the opposite fiat surface portion of the front plate; and longitudinal marginal ribs on the fiat surface portion of the rear plate to contact the film and to hold the same against the edges of the front plate; said ribs gradually rising from the said fiat surface portion in the direction of the film motion and nally merging with the concave surface of the middle portion of the rear plate.

2. A film gate according to claim 1 wherein said ribs on the flat portion of the rear plate are formed by Ibent edges thereof.

3. A film gate according to claim 1 wherein thc ribs at their ends merging into the concave surface of the middle portion of the rear plate are connected to a U-form.

RAYMOND FERNAND ADRIEN VALENTIN DAVI'IAYA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,859,435 De Forest May 24, 1932 1,862,364 Heisler June 7, i932 1,888,527 Edouart Nov. 22, 1932 2,036,428 Mihalyi Apr. 7, 1936 2,277,695 Foster Mar. 3l, 194.2 2,427,327 Nemeth Sept. 9, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 235,992 Great Britain July 2, 1925 

